From Allspice to Turmeric - 19 Spices to Wow Your Cooking

Allspice: soups stews, curries, cakes, fruit pies

Caraway: cheeses, sausage, cooked cabbage, soups, soda bread, granola

Cinnamon: desserts, cakes, puddings, mulled wine, bread, rice, granola

Coriander: curries, vegetables

Cumin: meat, vegetables, chili, relish, salad

Curry powder: soups, stews

Fennel: pork, fish, vegetables, bread, pickles, bouillabaisse, potato salad, cakes, Italian sausage, spaghetti sauce

5 Spice Powder: roast meat, poultry, marinades

Ginger: meat, fish, vegetables, cookies, cakes

Lemongrass: soups, stews, fish, meat

Mustard seed: Indian dishes

Nutmeg: meat, vegetables, egg, cheese, sauces, cakes, fruit, pancakes

Paprika: goulash, poultry, fish, vegetables

Peppercorns: marinades, stocks, stews, broth

Saffron: soups, sauces, fish, rice, cakes, breads

Star Anise: poultry, pork, fish, beef soup

Sumac: fish, chicken, salads, kebabs, lentils

Tamarind: soup, curries, fish, poultry, desserts

Turmeric: vegetables, beans, lentils

When you look at a list like this it seems daunting to buy all these spices and stock your pantry in one day. The best way to handle this is to watch for sales. Spices like allspice and cinnamon will go on sale around holidays. While spices like lemongrass and saffron will be during slow times of the year.

About the author: Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet recipes. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday. Sign up for her newsletter and learn more about Gourmayeats Weekly Recipe Club at http://www.gourmayeats.com/recipe.html